mould proof silicone

[sandrandave]

Is it all that it is cracked up to be? I remember we did a bathroom in one of our rental properties and the silicone startedt o get mouldy inabout 12 months. Not sure what silicone hubby used at the time whether it was mould resistant stuff or not. How long would you expect the mould resistant stuff to be mould free for?

Thanks

Sandra

[Jacksin]

On the bathrooms I have done, once I have scratched out the old sealer I brush metho liberally into the gaps to kill off any mould. It dries quickly and so far I havent had any call backs.

[Damon_11]

Maybe this is true, but heard from a friend also into reno's is that the mould comes from our fingers when we run a finger over the silicone to smooth it out. skin particles and grease apparently. He suggests getting some non powder surgical gloves from the chemist to do the smoothing off process. Obviously on a bone dry surface free of dust etc.

Maybe worth a try....D

[Master Splinter]

If the silicone joint gets wet enough, long enough, it will develop mould.

I spent years playing wack-a-mole and redoing silicone join lines to try to get rid of mould. Now I just spray them with bleach or domestos and give them a wipe down after a few minutes.

I have found that the old fashioned sillicone seems to remain mould free for longer than the newer, clean up with water ones.

However, I've just recently noticed that polyurethane sealants are on the market...mmmmm, new product to play with....

[Toolin Around]

Silicone doesn't get moldy, there is nothing in it that a fungus can feed off. It's what's trapped behind it that allows the mold to grow, moisture and a food source. Where you're applying it has to be absolutely clean allowing the silicone to adhere well and therefore keep the moisture and food source out. But if the surface isn't clean enough the silicone will eventually pull away and allow moisture and "dirt to get trapped promoting the growth of mold. Which in turn will expand and cause the silicone to pull away more allowing more mold... You can use the fancy anti mold silicones but it will always come down to surface prep as to whether you can keep mold growth down. A final wipe down with alcohol before applying the sealant wouldn't be a bad idea. I say alcohol because it doesn't leave a residue that could cause adhesion failure. 70% alcohol will kill anything that's on the surface. Also mold needs a sustained 20% moisture content in what ever it's trying to establish itself in to grow well (it will grow at a lower moisture content but it's much slower) so good ventilation will go a long way to keeping mold in check.

[Jacksin]

Maybe this is true, but heard from a friend also into reno's is that the mould comes from our fingers when we run a finger over the silicone to smooth it out. skin particles and grease apparently.

Dont know why you are using your fingers anyway. Once you have pumped the sealer on. give it very light spray with heavily diluted soapy water and finish it with the rounded end of an icecream stick.

[Cliff Rogers]

Silicone doesn't get moldy, there is nothing in it that a fungus can feed off. ....

I wouldn't bet on that....
There is a mould that will eat the ferric oxide coating on recording media; video & audio tape & floppy disks.
There is also a mould that will eat diesel fuel. :confused:

[echnidna]

And they just discovered a mould that kills locust swarms--
no foolin its true!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Master Splinter]

Heres how to get rid of mould, in an environmentally friendly way....

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ear...ies/s23877.htm

[journeyman Mick]

I wouldn't bet on that....
There is a mould that will eat the ferric oxide coating on recording media; video & audio tape & floppy disks.
There is also a mould that will eat diesel fuel. :confused:

Aah, yes, the joys of living in the tropics aye Cliff. Silicone will definitely go mouldy around here, not just surface mould either. When I worked on a dive boat the silicone in the masks (goggles to the unitiated) used to go mouldy right inside the silicone. This was despite spending a lot of time in salt water and being rinsed in an antiseptic bath several times a day. The mould in silicone (all types) around here seems to migrate from the surface right down into the material.

Plus, like Cliff says, there's not much up here that isn't affected by one type of mould, fungus or bacteria. I rehabilitated about 10M3 of oil contaminated soil a few years ago by growing bacteria in it.

Mouldy Mick

[Toolin Around]

I wouldn't bet on that....
There is a mould that will eat the ferric oxide coating on recording media; video & audio tape & floppy disks.
There is also a mould that will eat diesel fuel. :confused:

I think you're talking about bacteria in those cases

[journeyman Mick]

Toolin,
bacteria in the diesel, but definitely mould on tapes. Had a collection of videos that succumbed to mould when I was living in a house in the rainforest. Thick, white tendrils of mould all over/through/around the tapes. Because it was so moist there, the air was full of mould spores all the time. Had mould grow on a brand new plastic clipboard within a few days of being unwrapped, mould on the walls, musty clothes even though they were freshly washed and to top it off, Enoki mushrooms growing in the grout joins in the bathroom:eek: . Plus a green tree frog living in the toilet bowl which used to freak out the overseas visitors. Nearly had a heart attack one night when I woke to a blood curdling scream around 2 am from the British backpacker who was staying the night.

Mick

[Bob38S]

........ a green tree frog living in the toilet bowl which used to freak out the overseas visitors. Nearly had a heart attack one night when I woke to a blood curdling scream around 2 am from the British backpacker who was staying the night.

Mick

You sure the scream wasn't from the frog --